Friday; A Little Late

My husband rocks was yesterday... And I missed it, but I wanted to catch up because my husband really does deserve as many kuddos as possible! He has a terrible flu thanks to Jillie being sick and bringing it home. He has been miserable and suffering but he's still been wonderful. And I love him. For one thing, there has been a lot of work that needed to be done this week in order to get ready for Grandpa coming over. Because Lowell has been sick, I've done most of it - and most of it has been outside doing yard work or cleaning up the yard. And Lowell has been very grateful - he's shown his appreciation and he's been thankful. And I appreciate him appreciating me. :) Too often moms feel taken advantage of, but my husband is good at showing me that he loves me and that he appreciates the work that I do. I'm lucky. :) And my husband rocks.

I Surrender

I have been very hesitant to post in the past couple of days... the major reason for this is that we've had a very unnerving development lately... I keep telling everyone that we're "living on faith". I was saying it in almost a superior way because I felt good that I was able to take this big step of faith.. And I was kind of encouraging other people to do it too.. At least that's what I thought. And then Lowell came home from work Friday. I had spoken to him earlier in the day and all had seemed fine. However, apparently around 3 (a few minutes before they left for the day) Lowell's boss had called him into his office and informed him that he was fired. Yep, you read that right. Lowell got fired. He has never been fired before and his boss didn't give him any reason other than "It's just not working out for you here". That was the extent of it. And then he starting acting like Lowell's best friend. I didn't believe him when he came home and told me that he had been let go. I was sooo shocked and, honestly, a little speechless. And a little panicked. Lowell kept saying that he felt at peace about it. And honestly, when we talked about it, the worst that could come of it would be that we would move to Phoenix a little sooner than we planned. The only downside to that would be that we wouldn't wait until the kids got out of school... But maybe this timing is perfect for a job opportunity.

For school this week, I have to write a paper about James so I've been reading it this week. Lo and behold, I come across a devotion about 5:12. This verse says, in part, Let your yes be yes, and your no be no, so that you may not sin and fall under condemnation." I had never interpreted it this way, but the devotion says "indecision and double-mindedness not only bring confusion and complication, but they also cause condemnation" (Joyce Meyers Everyday Bible) It also says "Start making decisions without worrying about them. Do not live in fear of being wrong. Once you do make a decision, do not let self-doubt torment you. Being double-minded and never deciding anything is complicated and will steal the enjoyment from everything you do." So, that got me thinking along the same line as I was blogging earlier, we should make the decision that seems right and just go with it. And, earthly wisdom says, 'freak out', but I'm not operating with only earthly wisdom to guide me, am I? I have a much higher power to follow, and I believe He wants me to "Be still and know that He is God". And that He's a whole lot bigger than a lost job or simple fear. So, I am here, being confident in my husband, and confident in my God. We are going to be fine. This life is not about me, anyway - "Its all about You, Jesus, and all this if for You - for Your glory and Your fame... And I surrender to Your ways."

Its silly to introduce you to our newest family member without including a picture.. So, here it is! :) Also, I suppose I should mention that Lowell has definitely claimed the truck as his own... So, we'll be looking for a vehicle for me, I guess! :) I think we're going to try to get our Mazda to survive the trip down there and then find something in Phoenix a lot cheaper (and with more selection) than up here. So I'm praying that my "bubble" around my car holds out long enough to protect my car through the whole trip! :) We're living on faith anyway, so why not count on God protecting my car a little longer! :) What do you think???

A New Addition to Our Family

Yesterday was a big day! We bought a truck. This was not an easy decision and came only after much prayer and seeking of counsel... When we discussed it, it was aparent that we will definitely need a vehicle that is in good working condition before we move... That much we've known for awhile... And we got our tax return that we've been planning on using to help us move. Well, the cars that we have would have to have a significant amount of money dumped into them before they were ready to make the trek to Phoenix... And, in all honesty, they really don't deserve to have money dumped into them because they are basically ready to die. They aren't worth spending any money on... So, we've been agonizing about what to do. Then, Lowell wanted me to look online and see about transmission prices for the Suburban and an engine for an Explorer that we have access to... And low and behold, I found a complete truck that fit into our budget... So I asked Lowell about it, called the guy to see if he still had it and to find out what was wrong with it... And it turns out that the damage was all cosmetic and that it had only been listed for 20 minutes!!! He had literally just put it on Craigslist..... And sure enough, we found out later, someone called right after us and offered to give the guy more than he was asking just to not sell it to us! So we made the trek to Gilroy (3 hours away) to look at it... At we drove it home. Lowell was so wonderful about it... And he made me so proud! The whole way down he was really seeking God's will and desiring to listen to His direction. I love hearing my husband say "I just want to do what He wants me to". :) :) :) :) What more could a girl ask for??!??!!?? Oh, by the way, did I mention that this truck is a 98 Dogde diesel, quad cab (meaning it has 4 doors) and its a dually (two wheels on both sides in the back).... Oh, and its a stick... And its for me! this is my new family "car". :) And I don't know how to drive a stick. yet. Lowell is going to teach me, and he wants me to learn by Saturday so that I can drive it to Jillian's birthday party!!! :) (That was a prayer request if you missed it!!! :))
Also, I wanted to share with you a new song that I recently learned... It's beautiful and I love the message.. "Its all about you, Jesus. And all this is for You. Its not about me. That You should do things my way. You alone are God and I surrender to Your ways." check it out... :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dD-ZdMOx_HY&feature=related

The Adultress and I

Lowell and I have had such a wonderful couple of weeks... We've had a couple of pretty heated disputes but they've both brought us to a better place. The first fight was about not spending enough time together, and so we've set aside Tuesday, and the second one was about the importance of the day that we've set aside. We have been really enjoying our time and we've made a point to spend more time together everyday of the week - not just Tuesday. Today, however, I had to go to church by myself. Lowell misses being able to go to church and I really miss having him sit next to me during service.
Today's message was great... It was about love - the real love that we are supposed to show to the world in order to display the love of Christ. Pastor George used the story from John about the alduteress who was brought before Christ by the Pharisees.. "Let him who is without sin cast the first stone." It was a very moving portrait of Jesus showing mercy and displaying love when discipline and wrath were deserved and definitely expected by the religious leaders. In those days, adultry was a sin that was punished by death by stoning. Jesus, instead, seemed almost unmoved by the terrible sin this woman had commited and instead gave her a simple suggestion, "Go and sin no more". Because of this mercy, she recognized Him as Lord.
The application of the message was to ask ourselves how frequently we show condemnation to others instead of showing them the unconditional love of Christ. While sin must definitely be addressed, those who don't know Christ don't know His law either. Therefore, they first need to meet Him. Obviously, the greatest character of Christ is His love. Also, we were reminded that our sin is equal to that of the adultress... And we need God's mercy just as much as she did. How often we forget that we were found by Him and loved by Him while we were still in our sin. Often our own sins look much more serious when we see them on others... And we tend to be much more forgiving of ourselves.. Often because we make justifications and excuses for ourselves. Jesus looks only at our souls, however not at the circumstances or whatever rationale we come up with.
We also sang a song that said, "Jesus, lover of my soul.... " and I was reminded that God doesn't look at the circumstances of our lives, or even the actions really - His focus in on the condition of our hearts and our souls. The good we do comes from the condition of our souls as well as the sin in our lives that comes from the condition of our soul.
I also realized today that it really isn't the big of a deal where we live... If Lowell and I believe that moving to Arizona is the best move for our family, I think that's okay. And I think God will bless our move because we are going with the intention of bettering our family. Our motives are not greed or fear, we aren't running away and we aren't trying to be rich. We are trying to provide our children with a life that is blessed with experiences and free (as much as possible) from the stresses that come from stressed parents. Also, we are moving so that I can continue school and I KNOW that I have been called to be a counselor so I need to finish school... The timing is the only thing I question...
Anyway, God's focus is on my soul. He desires for me to be more like Him - He wants me to know Him and to love Him more deeply every day. It doesn't matter where I live - only where my heart is. And I know that wherever we are, wherever we live, I will never be out of His sight, out of the reach of His hand or too far to experience the reaches of the cross... So, here or Phoenix, I'm loved. By Jesus and my husband. And I'm not worthy. But I'm thankful.

Tired but hopeful

Well, there haven't been many big things happen lately. We've been working with the cat, who we've discovered got bitten instead of broken. So I'm trying to keep his medicine on him without him pulling his bandage off and without going to the vet and getting a satellite put on his neck. We've had quite a few snow storms and some bad weather but its all been for good - California needs the water, and Lowell's job really benefits from the snow for sure! I have finished my second to last quarter and I'm in the middle of my week break before starting my experimental psychology class - the one I have to take and interpretating the bible for youth - I don't have to take it but I thought, if its anything like its name, it'll be great for the kids.
I have senior-itis really, really badly and I'm hoping that I can stay focused for these classes. I have to get about $325 together for my books and for graduation.. Graduation... That's quite an idea.. :) As of now, I'm hesitant to even begin my masters because I'm struggling with having motivation with just my bachelors classes... I'm told that possibly my medicine could be at an incorrect level and when it gets fixed, I may feel better. I'm going to have an MRI and another EEG also. I'll let you know when I get the results from my tests. I had my blood drawn today and I'll have the other tests as soon as my insurance oks them. I'm praying that fixing my meds will fix my lack of energy because I'm just tired of being tired... I don't think everyone else is this tired, are they? Are you? I can barely get myself out of bed in the morning and I can hardly function at about 3 in the afternoon... I feel like I need a nap, but if I take one, I don't feel any better when I wake up. I just want to go back to sleep. Granted, not every day is like this.. But definitely more so than should be...
All that aside, Lowell and I have decided to make Tuesday our day. I've cancelled all my other commitments and we have set aside the morning time, when the kids are at school, to just be together. Yesterday was the first day, and it was really nice... Its nice just to have us time, even if it is only a couple of hours - I'll take him whenever I can get him! :)
I have a project in the works for Chloe's teacher. I saw it in a family magazine. It's a tub or a jar that is filled with paper hearts. The plan is to send a few hearts home with each child and ask the parents to work with their kids and write something that they appreciate about Mrs. McCracken. I just have to find a day where she's not at school so that I can send the hearts home without her knowing about it.
Also, I'm asking for prayer about our move. So far we haven't heard about any job prospects and we are trying to live on faith. We really believe that God wants us to move so.... Faith. :)

What a Day!

Yesterday was a blustery cold, snowy day at Bear Valley. It was supposed to be Lowell's "Friday", but his boss asked him to work today. After reading this, you may understand why. His work day began at a ridiculous 4:30am because one of the snow removal guys quit - and in order to be on the mountain at 4:30, he has to get up at 2 am. In my opinion, this alone qualifies him for a medal - but it gets better.

The carpool meets at the market and then the guys sleep as much as possible on the drive to the mountain. The first job for Lowell was to weld new feet on the very old blower to get Kieth out on the parking lot to start clearing snow. Meanwhile, snow cat driver Carl came in saying that his snow cat had leaked 4 gallons of oil in three hours. So Lowell put more oil in it and sends Carl on his way. Next, Lowell and Danny load up parts to go fix snow cat 58 that was left over night at the lodge with a 'broken drive hose'. When they get to the snow cat and dig it out, they discover that instead of a broken drive hose, it is a broken tiller hose. So they turn around and head back to the shop. On the way, they come across snow cat 51 which appears to be on fire. Danny picks up Carl from his smoking cat and drops him off at the shop to get snow cat 59, leaving Lowell there on the side of the mountain in the blinding snow. (snow cats only seat 2) Danny picks Lowell up, now with the right parts to fix snow cat 58 and off they go. While they're putting in the plug in the new tiller hose, they see Carl go by in #59. About 5 minutes later, Carl comes walking up to Lowell and Danny saying #59 now has a broken drive hose. hhmmm... Well, they start up 58 and leaving it warming up and follow Carl to 59. At least they already have the parts to fix a broken drive hose in their cat. Just for your info, since I'm sure you don't know :) changing a drive hose on a snow cat is no fun task because it requires laying under the snow cat in the snow with snow and fluid and water dripping on you. Anyway, they fixed 59, put the tools back in the utility cat and sent Carl on his way. Then they head back to 58 where they had left it warming up and start to drive it to the shop. Unfortunately, 58 won't groom, so Lowell has to follow in the utility cat so that he can cover 58's tracks because they are driving right through groomed skiing trails. So, Lowell turns around to groom where the tracks were left and after about 10 yards, his parking brake locks on and he can't drive anymore. He manually turns it off, and starts again only to come to a schreeching stop about 10 yards later. He discovers that the passenger door keeps falling open, and for safety's sake, the cat automatically shuts itself off. So he jumps out to shut the door and suddenly, Craig comes flying by and misses Lowell's feet with the rotating knifes of the tiller by about 12 inches. Lowell finally makes it back to the shop when Kieth calls. "My blower is broken." This is the only blower they have left on the whole mountain. Kieth says that the feet need to be adjusted so Lowell gives him the benefit of the doubt, (he doesn't think that will solve the problem) and does it. When they test drive it, the blower is still trying to flip over and not staying level on the ground. So they take the blower to the shop. Next, Kieth and Steve decide the problem must be in the ram. So, they remove the ram and take one off a snow cat. They have to fabricate a mount for it because it doesn't fit, and then finally they test it again. Same problem... Lowell says they need a new cutting edge. Finally its lunch time. (Can you believe it - all this before lunch!?!?!)

As they're finishing up lunch, the office calls to tell them the Pepsi delivery truck is stuck in the parking lot. So Kieth goes out on the grader to dig him out. Lowell and Steve are left to deal with the blower problem so Lowell tells Steve that since they don't have a cutting edge, they need to give the box down pressure. Usually on a blower, the weight of the box keeps it pushed down into the snow, however in this case, the edge was worn down and the snow was extra thick and wet, so the box kept riding up the bank and causing the blower to almost turn over... So, they decide to make a hose and a valve to help the box stay down. Viola! It works! So, Kieth goes back out on the blower and Lowell goes down to the parking lot where there is a bus driver complaining about his chains and his brakes. Lowell brings the bus to the shop, replaces the chains on one tire and looks at the brakes. Oh, and since he has nothing else to do, the bus driver asks him to fill it with gas too.

Then Kieth calls again... He's broken the shear pins in the blower. Shear pins are the "weak link" in the blower so that if the blower hits something hard, the pins will break and cause the blower to stop spinning without chewing it up. In this case, the shear pins broke and the drive line was flopping around so that it broke the hose off of the ram they had just put in.. Lowell and Steve go back out into the storm and fix up that mess. When they finally get back to the shop, they can start on the work that they were scheduled to do for the day. There is a pile of work orders on the desk for the snowmobiles that are lining the shop. They get the tools laid out and wash up to start on the snowmobiles when, again, Kieth calls. "I broke it good this time." He knew it wasn't the shear pins this time, but the blower wasn't turning and it was making a horrific noise. He brought it into the shop and Lowell and Steve discover that the bolts have fallen out of the driveline - and, amazingly, it didn't do any collateral damage. So, they put the bolts back in it. Kieth looked at Lowell after all this was over... "Can you work tommorow?" "Sure," Lowell says. "Then let's get out of here!" (Finally!!) On the drive home, they discover that the place where Kieth was breaking the shear pins was the same place Steve had to drive on top of the snow because it was just too heavy and packed for the grader. Lowell said they call it "Sierra cement".

So, how does Lowell get through days like this? "I just think of my little family at home and providing for them." Isn't he wonderful???? And don't you feel better about your job now? :)

Indy

I know it sounds a little silly, but I'd love prayer for our cat. I think he may have a broken leg and along with the pain he's going through, I don't know how we're going to pay for the inevitable trip to the vet... I'm going to try to get some help through the local Humane Soceity, but I'm not sure how much they can do. The vet said that for the initial visit and the xray, it will run about $200. That's a lot for a pet, but he's very loved and special... Prayers for the kids, and how they handle this whole thing would be great too! Thanks! :) Oh, BTW, he's much bigger now, but still very loved! And still carried pretty much everywhere. :)

The Best Time of The Day

I just got done putting the kids to bed. Right before they go to sleep is my absolute favorite time of the day. Everyone brushes their teeth and goes potty and then gets comfy in their beds.. And then I read. Previously we've read The Magic Treehouse, Dr. Seuss, and other random books that I've found... Then the kids requested that we read the Bible. Honestly. The kids asked. So, we busted out the kids bibles and got started. We read a couple of pages each night and talk about what God is doing with His people... But hands down, their favorite time is 'questions'. I jump back a few nights and start asking questions about the things we've read... Who, for example, led the Israelites after Deborah? And did Moses ever get to enter the Promised Land? Who was Elijah's successor and what miracles did he preform? I can't even express how much I love this time of night... I love learning about these things myself and I LOVE having the kids learn them! Even Jillian remembers the names and the places... They all raise their hands in excitement when they know the answers and they never want me to stop. They can't get enough of learning about the Bible. How blessed am I? Honestly, what better quality could I ask for in my beautiful children than a love of the Word???

ps If you want the answers to the above questions, let me know! :)

A Busy Day

Well, today was a busy day... :) Not only is it My Husband Rocks Friday, but it is the day before Valentines day, Friday the 13th, the morning of a huge snow storm and the day I got one of my wisdom teeth pulled. Here alone, (Lowell was at work - he was going to take the day off to take me to the dentist, but they needed him and we decided that sending him to work was the right thing to do) I got up and tried to get the kids ready for school and then put chains on the car when it was snowing at an incredible rate! In only 3 hours, we got almost a foot of snow. And that's not really the best part, it snowed all the way down to 1000ft. In our neck of the woods, we're used to a little snow but down there - it was a nightmare. And a town full of people who don't know how to drive in the snow. There were accidents everywhere! Thankfully, as far as I know, no one was hurt. So, I got to practice my chain-putting-on skills while getting dumped on.. I learned that I need to practice a little more and next time shouldn't be when the weather is soo bad. On the other hand, this snow is job security for Lowell. This picture is of the highway that we had to take to get to school!! The highway! :) And then I got my tooth yanked out, (yikes) but thankfully, my wisdom teeth didn't start acting up until 1 week after we got dental insurance. Isn't God wonderful!! :) And then went to school and to participate in the kids Valentine's day activities.. Then home to shovel out the wood pile and make a fire... It was 40 degrees in the house. :)
So, why does my husband rock? Because this whole week I've been plagued with a massive toothache. My husband, wonderful man that he is, has been so supportive. I've gotten a ton of sweet, soft kisses on my cheek along with many homemade smoothies (because that's all I could eat). Also, he was great about taking on more responsibilities with the kids, like reading to them because my mouth hurt, and he was just so thoughtful and understanding. I adore my husband! I am so blessed to have a husband who is so loving and who really believes that his family comes first. He doesn't take his responsibility lightly - he provides for us, he protects us, he desires to spend time with us and he honestly seeks to do God's will so that our family will be blessed and will live according to God's plan. I am so blessed! Thank you, Lord for the very perfect valentine's present - another day with my husband! :)

A Beth Moore Link

I really want to share this video with you... I just adore Beth Moore already, but this clip struck home for me... She always manages to bring new light to stories that I thought I new inside and out... Well, this is not a new take on an old story, but a new take on salvation completely. Listen, and let me know what you think...
blessings,
rani
ps I have a great "my husband rocks" story that I can't wait to share on friday! :)
http://www.lproof.org/DVDPromos/HeIs.htm

My Favorite Story About My Husband

The idea behind this week's "My husband rocks" is to tell a story about him that makes you laugh every time you think of it... Well, for me, that's easy! :) I love telling the story about when Nathan was a few months old, and we took a trip to visit his Aunt in Bakersfield. We had just gotten lunch to go at McDonalds and as soon as we got back on the highway, Nathan woke up from his nap - wet. And unhappy. So, Lowell pulled over as soon as he could. I pulled Nathan up onto the front seat facing me, standing by the side of the truck. I was changing his diaper, had just gotten the wet one off, when I dropped the wipes. Meanwhile, Lowell is digging through the McDonalds bag to find his lunch. I put my hand on Nathan's leg while I retrieved the wipes. When I stood back up, Lowell was squealing and hanging upside down out the door. Apparently, Nathan had peed and it went straight over onto Lowell and onto lunch. Lowell had tried to jump out the door, forgetting that he still had his seat belt on so he was left with his feet up in the air by the side of the highway with cars honking at him as they passed... :) It was hysterical! I was laughing so hard I sat on the ground and cried with laughter. I love my husband soo much. :)

The Innocence of Children

I have to share what my darling Chloe just said... We're watching Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. This is the first time they've seen it (and myself as well). The opening scene is a mother giving birth... First I was asked why the woman was moaning and crying. Well, because having a baby is very hard, I said. Then Nathan wanted to know why it hurts.. "Its because your stomach opens up, huh?" That was his answer to his own question. I told them to just get back to their movie... Then Chloe shared some of her wisdom on the subject. "Babies come out naked, huh Mom? That's why they put them in a towel." It was all I could do to hold back the giggles. :) Yes, Baby, babies come out naked. :) Naked and beautiful. Gotta love the innocence of childhood. Thank you Lord for reminding me what a blessing my children are. :)

What It's All About

I was very moved today by the news. Isn't that suprising?!?! The stories tonight were about Lousiana men going to the areas of the US hit by the recent ice storms to pay back some of the good deeds that were bestowed upon them after Katrina and about the pilots, crew and air traffic controllers who saved all 100 + people on the airbus in New York. It was so refreshing to hear about people who care about others. In fact, one of the quotes from a man helping clean up debris from a widow's house was "Its just about loving on people. Its all about encouragement and loving people". Isn't that what life's all about? :)

My Husband is Wonderful :)

My husband is so sweet... My girls (like the rest of the female tween population of the US) love Taylor Swift. Lowell.. doesn't. :) However, today my husband came out of Walmart with Taylor Swift CD in hand and spent the entire ride home from Jackson listening to "the princess song" over and over and over... That's love. :) And I love him for it! :)

Thank you Honey for showing our girls that they are important to you and for being a good model for them of sacrifical love. You're wonderful!